Post 6: 3 Tips on How to Survive the Holiday Shopping Season

It’s almost that time of year again! The holiday season is one of the best seasons there is in my opinion, because it means a break from school, time to spend with my friends and family, good food, and most importantly some of the best shopping of the year. The American holiday shopping season begins with what could be regarded by some as the infamous day we call Black Friday, which promptly follows Thanksgiving. From then up until New Years Eve, we as consumers will be bombarded with promotion and sales offerings by all businesses no matter how big or small they are. This is because they want to cash in on our holiday spirit spending. The holiday season can be especially intimidating and tricky when making a purchase decision  so because of this I thought I would dedicate a blog post to my top three tips for how to scope out the best deals from the not so worth it ones. By the end of this blog post I hope you feel confident in your ability to survive the holiday shopping season and get the most for your money!

Tip # 1: For big purchases, research before you go to the store.

I think that this tip is important no matter what time of year it is, however it is especially relevant during the holiday shopping season. I know that whenever I go to a store and am presented with current deals and promotions that are being offered, I can become confused as to which ones are the best choices.  This is why I think it is important to do some research before you go to the store so that you know what your options are. This is good advice for all of your purchases, but especially your big-ticket items. There are two main product categories that fit here. The first are shopping products, which are products that can be expensive and require some research and opinion from close friends or family or those who have used the product before you purchase them, as well as specialty products, which are the most expensive types of products you can get and consequently require lots of research before a decision is made to buy them. Bottom line, don’t go into a store blind!

Tip # 2: Make a list, and check it twice!

This next tip relates back to the first. I am a big fan of list making. Although I am a very organized person, I find that this is a really helpful trick for those who lack in organization skills too because it forces them to engage with and sort out the task at hand. Going into any store during the holiday season will be tough, because you will be exposed to thousands of different deals and promotions that will all seem so appealing and fantastic. However if you go into a store with a pre-made list of the items you came in for, you will have stronger will power to avoid purchases that you did not intend for. Such purchases are known as unsought products. In this sense a list is like a pair of sunglasses, it shields away the glare from the harmful rays of advertisements.

Tip # 3: Don’t underestimate the power of small gifts!

Shopping can be hard, especially when you are trying to get a gift for a loved one and you have no idea where to start. Instead of putting down a lot of money on one large gift for someone, I would recommend getting them a bunch of little, less expensive items for a few different reasons. The first being that if you are uncertain if they will like the gift you got them, why not get them an assortment of little gifts you know that they will like rather than pooling all your money towards an item they may or may not end up liking and or returning. The second reason I recommend buying gifts this way is because it is more fun. I would much rather get a bunch of little gifts that had meaning to me than a large fancy gift that probably put a lot of pressure both emotionally and financially on the person who got it for me. Basically, I believe that it should not take much to impress your loved one. So if you are stumped on what to buy, don’t sweat it- just get them little things that have meaning that they’ll be sure to like!

That’s all for now,

-XOXO M

Sources:

Marketing, 12th Edition Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2015

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-christmas-shopping-crowd-image12675931

http://www.truewoman.com/?id=886

http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/christmas-shopping-list-printable/

http://www.hercampus.com/school/strath/how-keep-sane-christmas-shopping